Radiator core



July 2, 1935. A. B; MODINE 2,006,549

RADIATOR CORE Filed Dec. 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 2, 1935. MODINE 2,006,649

RADIATOR CORE 7 Filed Dec. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Man Q7 710 1922 Z57 (J/#21655 Jrifiar 5, Nadine Patented July 2, 1935' nan'm'ron. com: Arthur B. Modine, Racine, Wis., assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Wia, a corporation of Wisconsin Racine,

Application December 15, 1930, Serial No. 502,423

,12 Claims.

. flowing through the core and the temperature of the heater elements of the core is maintained substantially uniform, in other words, the difference between the temperature of the air as it enters the radiator and the temperature of the heater elements of the core adjacent the front or receiving portion thereof is maintained substantially constant during the passage of the air through the core, the difference between the temperature of the air and the temperature of the heat exchange elements of the core remaining substantially the same at all times.

By way of further explanation, it may bes id that the difference in temperature between the air as it enters the radiator and the temperature of the radiator elements at the receiving side of the radiator will correspond substantially to the diiference in temperatures between the air and the heater elements at the point where the air leaves the radiator, and at all points therebetween.

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a radiator core in which the proportion of direct to indirect heat transferring surface is increased toward the rear of the core.

Another principal object of the invention is to dispose certain elements of the core relatively to each other so that the above temperature differential is maintained throughout the depth of the core. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide heat radiating flns having air turbulating means which decrease the intensity of turbulation from the front to the rear of the radiator.

Another object ofthe invention is to so proportion the tubes and fins which respectively provide direct and indirect heating surfaces so that the proportion of direct to indirect heating surfaces is decreased at the front of the core where the cool air enters and is increased at the rear of the core where the heated air leaves said core and to produce maximum turbulation at the front of the core.

Another object of the invention is to dispose the fluid passages or tubes so as to accomplish the above advantages without decreasing the number of tubes or the cooling capacity of the core.

Another object of the invention is to provide a greater number of tubes at the discharge side of the core and to provide for a decrease in the number of tubes extending from the reargto the front of the radiator so that greater temperature is applied to the incoming air at the discharge side of the core.

The invention has these and other objects, all of which will be explained and readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate various means of accomplishing the invention, it being therefore manifest that other changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the appended claims forming a part hereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a front elevation of a core involving the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is'a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified construction in which tubes employed are of a flat cross section;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another modification and arrangement of tubes;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a fin or indirect heat radiating element preferably used in the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, but which may be employed in any of the construction shown. In this fin transverse corrugations are shown for increasing the area of the corrugated portion of the fin and also for producing turbulence. These corrugations have a maximum amplitude at the front -of the radiatorand decrease toward the rear as shown;

Figs. 6 and '7 are respectively plan and transverse sections of another modification which may be resorted to;

. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively plan and vertical sectional views of another modification that may be employed; and

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate still another manner of accomplishing the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. -1 and 2, it will be noted that the tubes or passages generally designated III are arranged in rows extending from the front to the rear of the radiator, the rows 'being designated H, i2 and I3 and it will be noted that the rearmost row I! contains a greater number of tubes than the row I! and that this last mentioned row contains more tubes than the first or front row II which provides means wherein the proportion of direct heat radiating means increases from the front to the rear of the core andwill thus.

apply the greatest heat to the air circulating through the device as it is discharged from the device.

Theinvention also contemplates the association of heat radiating fins or indirectheating surfaces with the tubes or direct surfaces, said fins having means for engaging and turbulating air as it passes through the radiator from the front to the rear thereof.

' These fins are generally designated I4 and are preferably provided with air engaging portions I 5, the latter being provided to engage and cause turbulation of the air as it passes over said fins and between the tubes. It will be noted that the means 15 gradually decreases from the front to the rear of the fins and thus will cause the greatest turbulation near the point of introduction of air to the passages formed between said fins and tubes while turbulation'is gradually decreased toward the rear of the core or at that portion of the core at which the greatest number of tubes is located. It is obvious that, as shown, in the forward part of each fin, viz., the front where the greatest amplitude of the corrugations is shown, the area and therefore the heat exchangesurface is greatly increased per unit of length because of the corrugations and also that these corrugations will produce violent turbulence in the air passing between the fins.

The arrangement just referred to including the tubes and fins provides a means whereby the percentage of direct to indirect radiating surface is decreased at the! front of the radiator where the cool air enters and is increased at the rear of the radiator where the heated air leaves I or is discharged, resulting in maintaining a temperature differential between the elements and the air'at the front and rear of the device, resulting in a radiator of higher heat transfer capacity having the same direct and indirect surfaces as prevailing types of these devices.

The structure shown in Fig. 3 involves the same principle as hereinbefore described only differing in that the tubes l6 of each row are of an elongated cross section and disposed at an angle to the tubes in an adjacent row. The structure shown in Fig. 4 contemplates an arrangement such as that above referred to and includes tubes H which are of an elongated cross section and are disposed in parallelism in rows l8, l9 and 20 with an increased number of tubes in the last mentioned row as explained in connection with Fig. 2. This last row of tubesmay be narrower than the tubes of the preceding rows.

In Figs. 6 and 7 an arrangement is disclosed in which the, ratio of direct to indirect heat transferring elements at the front portio of the core is comparatively low with a slightlyigher ratio of direct to-indirect heat transferring elements arranged immediately in the rear of the first mentioned set of tubes, the

ratio being practically all direct at the rearmost set of tubes. The tubes in this arrangement are arranged in rows, the rows being designated 2|, 22 and 23, the row 2| being provided with fins 24 in a manner to result in a low ratio of direct to indirect heat transferring surface at the front portion of the core or at the portion of the core at which air enters. The row of tubes 22 is provided with.a lesser number of fins so that a higher ratio of direct to indirect heat transfer isaccomplished at this portion of the It will be noted that the rearmost set of tubes such as 23 have the least amount of indirect radiation associated therewith which results in practically all direct heat radiating surface at this point of the structure.

ment which substantially correspond t that hereinbefore referred to as to disposition of tubes and the number of tubes in each row and discloses another arrangement in which the proportion of direct to indirect surface is increased as the heat as-bsorbing potential of the air decreases. This arrangement involves the use of tubes and fins, the latter of which are formed to provide means for turbulating air entering between the fins and tubes.

.In this last mentioned arrangement, fins 3| extend from the foremost or front tubes 28 to the center tubes 29 and certain of said fins such as 32 extend from the tubes 28 t the tubes 33, the fins 2 being spaced from each a suitable distance so as to accommodate a plurality of fins such as 3| in the space produced between said fins 32.

Figs. 10 and 11 show other arrangements or constructions which may be resorted to to accomplish the invention and contemplate an arrangement of tubes such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 having fins or indirect heat radiating surfaces applied to the tubes. In this arrangement the proportion of direct surface to indirect and fiuid to be cooled decreases, having means associated therewith for decreasing the degree of turbulence as the temperature difference or potential decreases. These structures contemplate arrangements'similar to that hereinbefore referred to and may include. fins such as those designated 34 and 35 which are constructed to provide oppositely extending projections 36 and 31, the projections decreasing in air engaging effectiveness from the front to the rear of the structure with the smaller projections located near the last row of tubes of the radiator and being practically devoid of any air turbulating means at these last mentioned tubes. These fins may be constructed as just referred to and may also include tubulating means such as 38 which in the present instance extend between the tubes of the last row. .The fins may also include a structure such as that designated 33 which involves the use of a. plurality 0f projections 40 which extend from one tube to the other and decrease in height from the foremost to the rearmost tube. The structure shown in Fig. '11 illustrates the use of corrugated fins percentages of direct to indirect surface is decreased at the front where the cool air enters and is increased at that point of the radiator where the heated air leaves or is discharged from the device and that the temperature diflerential is maintained by reason of a greater amount of direct surface being provided at the rear of the structure at which point said direct surface applied more heat and higher temperature to the indirect; surface which results in a radiator of high heat transfer capacity without reduction of cooling capacity.

It is further manifest that by arranging the fluid passages or tubes such as H, I! and I3 with the greater number of tubes at the rear of the radiator, that this provides means which results in maintaining a substantially uniform temperature differential of the air flowing through the radiator. In addition, it is evident that by the utilization of heat radiating fins r indirect surfaces such as H having air turbulating means that the air is decreasingly turbulated from the point of introduction to the point of discharge of the air.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

1. In a radiator core the combination of tubular elements providing fluid passages disposed relatively to each other to allow air to circulate between said elements and fins associated with said tubes said core having a relatively greater number of fins arranged at the front than at the rear of said tubes and having a relatively greater number of tubes at the rear than at the front thereof providing means whereby a substantially equal temperature differential is maintained from the front to the rear of said core between said air and said fins.

2. In a radiator core, the combination of tubular elements and fins associated therewith, said fins having means for producing turbulence of air entering said device, which means are arranged transverse to the path of said air and vary from the front to the rear .of said device to decrease intensity of turbulence from the front to the rear of said core.

3. A heat radiating fin adapted to be associated with tubular fiuid conducting passages, said fin having variate air engaging turbulence creating means arranged transverse to the path of said air, said variate means varying from the front toward the rear of the fin with the means for creating the greatest turbulence located at the front of said fin.

4. In a radiator core the combination of tubes and fins arranged transversely thereof, each spaced to permit air to pass between them through the core, said tubes. increasing in numher from the front toward the rear of said core and said fins having turbulence producing means of varying degrees for producing varying turbulence in the air passing therebetween, said turbulence decreasing toward the rear of said core thereby maintaining a substantial uniform temperature differential between said fins and the passing air at the front and rear of said core.

5. A radiator core comprising a plurality of tubes and a plurality of transverse fins having corrugations of varying area formed thereon, the area of said corrugations decreasing from the front toward the rear of said core and said tubes being arranged in increasing numbers from the front toward the rear of said core.

6. A radiator core comprising a plurality of tubes and a plurality of transverse fins, said fins being decreasingly corrugated from the front toward the rear of said core and said tubes being placed in closer relation to each other from the front toward the rear of said core.

7. In a radiator core a plurality of tubes and a plurality of transverse fins, said fins being decreasingly corrugated from the front toward the rear of the core whereby the heating surface of said fins and the turbulence of the air passing therebetween will decrease from the front toward the rear of the core. 7

8. In a radiator core structure, spaced liquid passages, and members dividing the space between said passage into separate air cells and comprising sheet metal plates 'having turbulence producing means projecting from respectively opposite sides of said plates into the air cells adjacent the opposite sides thereof, said means being arranged in series extending substantially from the front edge portions of said plates toward the rear edge portions thereof and decreasing in size progressively from the front to the rear ends of said series.

9. In a radiator core, a sheet metal fin plate having series of turbulence producing elements extending from the sides thereof and decreasing in size progressively from the front to the rear edge portions of said core.

10. In a radiator core, the combination of a plurality of transverse decreasingly corrugated fins and a plurality of tubular elements providing fluid passages disposed relatively to each other to allow air to circulate between said elements, said tubular elements being arranged in closer proximity to each other toward the rear of said radiator.

11. In a radiator core, a plurality of rows of tubes and a plurality of transverse fins, said fins having projections formed thereon, the heating surfaces of said projections decreasing from the front toward the rear of said core and the heating surface of the tubes in the respective rows increasing from the front toward the rear of the core.

12. In a radiator core, a plurality of tubes and a plurality of transverse fins, said fins having projections formed thereon and decreasing in area from the front toward the rear of said core to produce varying turbulence in the air passing therebetween and to decrease the heating surfaces of the projections from the front toward the rear of said core, sai tubes being arranged in closer proximity to ea h other progressively from the front toward the rear of the core.

ARTHUR B. MODINE. 

